SAMUEL L.

RIVERS
30 Rockledge Avenue  Mount Vernon, NY 10550  (914) 760-8136  samuelrivers@gmail.com

May 5th, 2010

New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct

6100 Broadway, Suite 1600
New York, New York 10006

Dear Sir/Madam:

I hereby respectfully request that your honorable body initiate an immediate investigation into Mount Vernon City Court
Judge Helen M. Blackwood.

Judge Blackwood has engaged in conduct that is in direct violation of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge; Part 100
Judicial conduct.

On Sunday, May 2nd, 2010, Judge Blackwood was the keynote speaker at the “All Islands 30th Annual Scholarship
Luncheon”. Judge Blackwood was also listed and was advertised as the keynote speaker in the journal that was distributed.

§ 100.4 States: A judge shall so conduct the judge's extra-judicial activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with
judicial obligations
(C) Governmental, Civic, or Charitable Activities.

(3) A judge may be a member or serve as an officer, director, trustee or non-legal advisor of an organization or
governmental agency devoted to the improvement of the law, the legal system or the administration of justice or of an
educational, religious, charitable, cultural, fraternal or civic organization not conducted for profit, subject to the following
limitations and the other requirements of this Part.

(ii) may not be a speaker or the guest of honor at an organization's fund-raising events, but the judge may attend such
events. Nothing in this subparagraph shall prohibit a judge from being a speaker or guest of honor at a court employee
organization, bar association or law school function or from accepting at another organization's fund-raising event an
unadvertised award ancillary to such event;

Judge Helen Blackwood is also the Judge on a proceeding on a matter that is currently before her for which I was assaulted
by James A. Dickerson. The case is being prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. James A.
Dickerson is extremely close friends with Mayor Clinton I. Young Jr. Judge Blackwood was appointed to the bench in
April of 2009 by Mayor Clinton I. Young Jr., Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon. Prior to being appointed to the bench,
Judge Blackwood served as Corporation Counsel for the City of Mount Vernon under Mayor Clinton I. Young Jr.

James A. Dickerson was also instrumental in securing employment for his girlfriend Tracy Thompson who currently serves
as Mayor Clinton Young’s executive secretary and also worked with Judge Blackwood while she was Corporation Counsel.

In my opinion, Judge Blackwood should have immediately recused herself from the above mentioned proceeding to avoid
the appearance of impropriety.

Upon information and belief, Judge Blackwood had an ex-parte conversation with Mayor Clinton Young and others and
agreed to release James A. Dickerson without bail after he was arraigned on Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree for violating an
order of protection previously issued by Judge Blackwood prohibiting James A. Dickerson from any communication with
me.
Dickerson was given preferential treatment upon his booking at the Mount Vernon Police Department and was arraigned
before Judge Blackwood in a relatively short time frame.

Upon information and belief, Judge Blackwood had a discussion with individuals close to the investigation and pre-arranged
a time for James A. Dickerson to appear before her.

Upon information and belief Judge Blackwood was not sitting in the Criminal Part of the Mount Vernon City Court, but was
sitting in the Civil Part of the Mount Vernon City Court the day James A. Dickerson appeared before her to be arraigned on
Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree.

In 2009, I filed a complaint against Judge Blackwood with the Appellate Division, 2nd Department for inappropriate ethical
conduct that she engaged in while serving as Corporation Counsel for the City of Mount Vernon.

I have also been an extremely vocal critic of Judge Blackwood’s and have written articles on my blog denouncing her
appointment as Mount Vernon City Court Judge. www.mountvernonexposed.blogspot.com.

The video of James A. Dickerson assaulting me is also posted to my blog.

§100.3 states; 100.3 A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.
(E) Disqualification

(1) A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the judge's impartiality might reasonably be
questioned, including but not limited to instances where:
(a) (i) the judge has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party or (ii) the judge has personal knowledge
of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding;
(d) the judge knows that the judge or the judge's spouse, or a person known by the judge to be within the sixth degree
of relationship to either of them, or the spouse of such a person:
(f) the judge, while a judge or while a candidate for judicial office, has made a pledge or promise of conduct in
office that is inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of the office

Sincerely,

Samuel L. Rivers

cc: Westchester County District Attorney’s Office – Patrick Macarchuk - Mount Vernon Branch Chief
cc: New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics
cc: New York Court System Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics
cc: Press